We already have a squad of about 20 players who have signed for OLDHAM. I don't like the idea of dual reg players but it is what it is. Why will it make us a feeder club? We will play those 20 players in Oldham shirts at a ground in Oldham. If some of Scott Naylors old colleagues at Salford want to help out at training or let use use some facilities then what is so bad about that. We have to face facts. We may have potential but we are a Championship one side with poor facilities and no assets. We can't stand up to anyone at the moment.

I agree. Nobody wants to see Roughyeds become someones reserve team but does it have to be that way. We have had some sort of deal with Leeds for the last couple of years, seeing some good lads coming in on dual reg/loan. I doesn't have to be a negative thing as long as it furthers Roughyeds aims and objectives which are to get out of this division. Our new coaching staff have strong links with Salford, why not use those links to our advantage as long as it doesn't mean selling Oldham down the river.

So what you are saying Bedford that because Oldham have a rich area of development compared to the Midlands they do not need anyone to cover that area as it's self sufficient? If so, it's a prime example why the game is being killed off from grassroots upwards to facilitate areas that are just developing, with no history etc. Since the SL threw the door open to expansion, has it improved the game? London have struggled since SL started and continue to struggle, Catalan are an exception as they were an established club in a rugby league area. Celtic Crusaders armed with money from SL and a pad of bent visa forms couldn't generate interest in Wales and had to come further north to ply their trade - and then look what happened? I give the new clubs in CC1 a season before they go under. Paris as an expansion club couldn't last two seasons, Gateshead another example. Expansion will not work when it is forced, it has to develop slowly and under the right conditions. But to sacrifice areas that are rich, is pretty damn shambolic.
It showed that clubs that wanted to join the professional ranks soon dropped out of the race when accepted for CC1 - that's expansion for you.

the issue is signing a deal with 1 club,who then dictates who plays....the whole idea behind it is to help the super league kids bridge the gap between the academy & super league......the first names on the rochdale team sheet is gonna be the st helens kids providing they are fit...they are'nt in full control of they own club!

the issue is signing a deal with 1 club,who then dictates who plays....the whole idea behind it is to help the super league kids bridge the gap between the academy & super league......the first names on the rochdale team sheet is gonna be the st helens kids providing they are fit...they are'nt in full control of they own club!

But because that is how Rochdale have done it, doesn't mean that's how Oldham might do it. I don't know the coach that well but i am sure of one thing. He is his own man, he is employed by Oldham Roughyeds and not Salford. He achieved what he did through hard graft and determination and not by being a yes man.

Come on everybody lets keep a sense of perspective about this . I have made my views clear about feeder clubs or partnerships , whatever you want to call them , on the :'Oldham' thread on the main forum and I have no intention of going over that ground again ....but suffice to say in an ideal world I would prefer us to remain a standalone club.

Even though nothing has been confirmed officially yet it has become increasingly clear in recent weeks that we would be linking with Salford . But as yet we have no details of how the partnership will operate . As I have already said I am not in favour of this arrangement in principle but surely the time to decide what the pitfalls / benefits of such an arrangement may be for either club is after the full details of the link up have been made public. Until that happens any comments about this can only be supposition . Lets just wait until the full details are released and then we can make our minds up knowing the full facts . Comments such as ' final nail in coffin ' or end of the road ' may be justified but then again they may be well wide of the mark . What I do know is if you keep using that language it can become self-fulfilling .

I feel that there are times when the glass half empty attitude seems to be the norm for many fans and we are all too quick to condemn anything the club does without thinking things through fully . I will wait to see what the arrangement is before deciding one way or the other . However having just read Scott Nayors open letter to fans I don't think you can fail to be impressed with his passion / vision for the club and I get the feeling that he will not allow any interference in his handling of the team . In his words the 20 man squad is handpicked and I reckon that they will all be given their chance to perform whatever form the link up with Salford takes ...

Sadly, I think this will be end for me also. If I don't attend the club loses three fans, me, my Dad and my Grandson. I was already considering the situation this year, given that it will be £11 to watch little better than Conference standard.

The club has been run into the ground, and this is just a surrender by CH & co.

I am Oldham through and through. I do not want to watch Salford, or anything associated with them. Does CH not remember the protests when the Salford mergers were proposed at the start of superlague.

It may time time, but I would prefer to see an Oldham Club rebuilding and one day returning to superleague. I know some fans have said on the main forum thread that we are not interested in a return to SL, but in reality we all want to watch OUR team at the highest level.

Why link up with one of the weakest clubs who like ourselves have financial issues to solve.

The ling up system is an attempt to ressurect the mergers of a few years ago. If we have to go down that route why bnot link up with one of the stronger teams or is it the SL teams who decide who to link up with and we are the last two left.

As for the new coach. Yes he seems to have plenty of passion but so have all the previous coaches before him when they first started with the club.

We dont know how good or not these players are that are new to the club but we still lack some experienced players to help them.

In my opinion this will a hard division to get out of.

It will be interesting to see how good Oxford will be. Lets hope Benson does not spoil the party for us.

It is, and enjoyed the banter,debates and disagreements - something that makes our game standout from others.Last year, the passion was dwlindling as was the drive to enjoy rugby league, but since the season has finished and you step back and look how the game is evolving - it's something I personally do not want to be involved in. To be involved in any sport, there has to be a goal at the end of it, whether it be survival, promotion or being crowned champions - and with promotion to SL being a lottery, and survival in SL not an option, the main goal for all clubs outside SL is financial survival - and without the prizes of promotion, there is no real glory, just a dead rubber.It stems deeper than professional level, and I have said before. After Christmas, Oldham will have no paid personnel in post from the RFL developing the game within schools etc. The people who are currently in post have done a fanstastic job, and continue to do so despite the circumstances that will befall them. If the RFL cannot see that a town like Oldham need people like that in post, and continue to cost cut in areas of high development to help sustain the game in 'other' areas with no game history i.e. Birmingham, Coventry etc- then they will reap what they will sow. It's not just happening at Oldham, its happening at other towns steeped on history, and continued game growth. It really stinks.

Its not Just Oldham that will have no paid personnel, it is happening all over even in the midlands and its due to been in last quarter of the year for current sport england funding . Application is in with sport england for next 4 years worth of grants,so all depends what RL get this time around and if they get the same as last time expect those paid positions to reappear again in the new year

This link up may be the first between clubs to not have a player loan deal but more about Debt Management and sharing Lawyers and Solicitors.Our first name relations with Her Majestys tax office would be priceless to any business or sport organisation.

After reading the Joel Moon thread on the main forum I am beginning to wonder if the purpose of the link up with Salford is to enable them to borrow our fringe squad players as they don't seem to have many at the moment .

Right its simple, whatever happens with the Salford link up will be another excuse for so called ORLFC fans to have a go at the club,chairman,fanbase or whatever the dish of the day maybe. Lets not worry about the ground, the team or the club and concentrate on supporting the lads in red and white who hopefully as Mr Naylor says will sweat blood for the cause and get us into the Championship. i for one will be there no matter where we play, what strip we wear, or whoever is the chairman. Its about Oldham RLFC and not about personality clashes or rubbish stay away excuses. If you dont want to come its simple dont, i would rather have 300 fans behind the team than a 600 50/50 split about who is right or wrong. Support the club wholeheartedly or just dont bother posting the negative load of tosh that is on this board. One Club, One Heart, OTID. Seems to me that the politics of RL has taken over this board, remember it was only 1997 there wasnt even a ORLFC. Support the lads who have signed and are prepared to wear the famous Red and White of Oldham. Lets see how this link up will work, i wasnt too happy to hear about it but then Scott Naylor and his staff have handpicked a squad what THEY want, might be useful if we have injuries to borrow a few from Salford. We are Oldham always will be. Doesnt mean we are going to be City Reds MK2, So to put it bluntly, if you really are a true ORLFC fan then buy into what they are trying to do, embrace it and criticise at the end of this season, if you dont want to go/have a problem with the ground/ hate CH whatever just dont bother paying in. For the first time in a long time there is an air of optimism about the season and the changes that have been brought in, why destroy that on pointless tripe, oh and by the way im Taffy

Right its simple, whatever happens with the Salford link up will be another excuse for so called ORLFC fans to have a go at the club,chairman,fanbase or whatever the dish of the day maybe. Lets not worry about the ground, the team or the club and concentrate on supporting the lads in red and white who hopefully as Mr Naylor says will sweat blood for the cause and get us into the Championship. i for one will be there no matter where we play, what strip we wear, or whoever is the chairman. Its about Oldham RLFC and not about personality clashes or rubbish stay away excuses. If you dont want to come its simple dont, i would rather have 300 fans behind the team than a 600 50/50 split about who is right or wrong. Support the club wholeheartedly or just dont bother posting the negative load of tosh that is on this board. One Club, One Heart, OTID. Seems to me that the politics of RL has taken over this board, remember it was only 1997 there wasnt even a ORLFC. Support the lads who have signed and are prepared to wear the famous Red and White of Oldham. Lets see how this link up will work, i wasnt too happy to hear about it but then Scott Naylor and his staff have handpicked a squad what THEY want, might be useful if we have injuries to borrow a few from Salford. We are Oldham always will be. Doesnt mean we are going to be City Reds MK2, So to put it bluntly, if you really are a true ORLFC fan then buy into what they are trying to do, embrace it and criticise at the end of this season, if you dont want to go/have a problem with the ground/ hate CH whatever just dont bother paying in. For the first time in a long time there is an air of optimism about the season and the changes that have been brought in, why destroy that on pointless tripe, oh and by the way im Taffy

Right its simple, whatever happens with the Salford link up will be another excuse for so called ORLFC fans to have a go at the club,chairman,fanbase or whatever the dish of the day maybe. Lets not worry about the ground, the team or the club and concentrate on supporting the lads in red and white who hopefully as Mr Naylor says will sweat blood for the cause and get us into the Championship. i for one will be there no matter where we play, what strip we wear, or whoever is the chairman. Its about Oldham RLFC and not about personality clashes or rubbish stay away excuses. If you dont want to come its simple dont, i would rather have 300 fans behind the team than a 600 50/50 split about who is right or wrong. Support the club wholeheartedly or just dont bother posting the negative load of tosh that is on this board. One Club, One Heart, OTID. Seems to me that the politics of RL has taken over this board, remember it was only 1997 there wasnt even a ORLFC. Support the lads who have signed and are prepared to wear the famous Red and White of Oldham. Lets see how this link up will work, i wasnt too happy to hear about it but then Scott Naylor and his staff have handpicked a squad what THEY want, might be useful if we have injuries to borrow a few from Salford. We are Oldham always will be. Doesnt mean we are going to be City Reds MK2, So to put it bluntly, if you really are a true ORLFC fan then buy into what they are trying to do, embrace it and criticise at the end of this season, if you dont want to go/have a problem with the ground/ hate CH whatever just dont bother paying in. For the first time in a long time there is an air of optimism about the season and the changes that have been brought in, why destroy that on pointless tripe, oh and by the way im Taffy